Movies I've Watched Recently

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Ok, this is a follow up on a previous post that I created back on April 8th, 2010 in regards to Elm Street 2010.

I finally watched the movie, and I am starting to realize that more often than not, I am NOT a fan of a lot of these horror remakes. Even if I haven't seen the original, or its just been years since I have, these new releases are just SO corny that it almost pains me to sit through them.

In this specific movie, Freddy doesn't look the same, nor does he sound the same. Anybody from my generation can clearly recognize Freddy's voice and to deviate from the original is nearly sinful.

Basically, this movie just reiderates not to fall asleep or Freddy will be coming for you. You will be struggling in your 'dream' but dying in reality. Not my favorite, the remake almost insults the original. Don't bother wasting your time, unless you are like me, and just have this burning 'need' to torture yourself with bad movies ;)

So, maybe I thought the original was actually 'scary', but it may also be because I was around 6 when I saw it. However you want to cut it, this movie was just corny. Eh...not worth your time.

Understanding that most horror movies usually contain some sort of pornographic material, this movie takes it to a different level. Spring Break on the lake, and a 'Girls Gone Wild' type porn flick being filmed, is the main story line to this movie. Yeah, so you get to see some skin, boobies bouncing, naked ladies swimming, but just beware you are about to see the fish tear through their flesh like butter.

Overall, you could definitely tell this movie was originally filmed to be viewed in 3D, the lame attempts at making you feel like fish were flying out of your screen into your lap, however, I don't think I would have been effected even if I had seen it in its original format.

With the exception of a few entertaining scenes; the cock floating in the water, you'll understand if you watch, I would suggest passing on this one.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Where to begin with this review? A great cast, in my opinion, some eye candy for the ladies and the gents ;) My personal favorite of the trio would be Grace Cahill, played by Natalie Portman, not only for her good looks but also for her convincing role as the grieving wife. Opposite Natalie is Capt. Sam Cahill, played by Tobey Maguire. Tobey was looking rather scrawny in this flick, granted he isn't a big guy, but he definitely looked like he went through the worst human experience any of us could imagine ie POW.

Capt. Sam Cahill receives his orders to do another tour in Afghanistan with his men, against the wishes of his two daughters, it's his duty and he must go. As the family sits down to wish him a farewell, they are also welcoming back his brother, Tommy Cahill, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who has just been released from prison.

I don't know how anyone would be able to watch this movie and not get a little teary-eyed. I get that some people may be 'over' the war movies, especially the ones that are based around the Iraq war and Afghanistan, but we *still* have troops over there and we can't forget that even though Hollywood has its own perception of what's really going on, it's still happening. I personally love war/military movies. If you like a military/tear jerker movie, I highly recommend it, it's not as 'boring' as some reviews have said, I promise :)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

'Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich. Life is....Precious.'

I have seen this movie a few times now, and each time it yanks at my heart. Precious, unable to read, stuck in Harlem with her abusive mother, is offered the chance to go to an alternative school when she is expelled from her regular high school. The constant verbal and physical abuse inflicted by her mother leaves her in a constant mental state of discontent.

Precious finds out she is pregnant with her second child, her first was born with Down Syndrom and is being raised by her grandmother. Precious has endured a lifetime of sexual abuse from her mother's boyfriend, who also happens to be her own father.

The trials that this young girl faces in such a condensed period of her life is truly terrifying. The personal aches and pains that she is presented with, along with the outside pressure from society to be something that she will probably never be capable of achieving.

I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who has a heart, and also a strong stomach for some of the scenes that will appear on your screen. A well written and well directed/cast film. I can honestly see why this movie earned so many awards.

Friday, May 7, 2010

'I would move heaven, hell, and anything in between to get to you; you wouldn't be safe anywhere if I was mad 'atcha.'

For any of you who have a fascination with serial killers, I highly suggest giving this movie a shot. Most serial killer movies that I have watched have been about these guys who kill for perverted reasons, have mental health issues, possess cannibalistic tendencies or any other various motive. The Iceman was a 'Killer for Hire', linked in with a notorious New Jersey mob family.

Richard 'Iceman' Kuklinski was a killer that was hard to follow. Using multiple methods for expiring his victims, there was little consistency for law enforcement to narrow down and pinpoint the crimes to one individual. From cyanide poisoning (which he is claimed to be one of the most well rounded/educated men in the uses of the substance) knives, guns, hypodermic needles, chainsaw dismemberment, even a crossbow on a random target, just to see if it would work.... Kuklinski earned the name 'Iceman' by the authorities for his habits of freezing the bodies before disposing of them. This would create issues for the medical examiner in determining time of death.

Kuklinski reminds me of a cross between Tony Soprano and Jack Nicholson, looks and persona. During the interviews, you almost want to like him, on the other hand it is stated that if Kuklinski calls you 'friend', your end is near. By the 1980s, Kuklinski was suspected for a list of offenses; Narcotics, Pornography, Arms Dealing, Money Laundering, Hijacking and Contract Killing on a worldwide basis. On December 17, 1986 he was finally arrested in his home.

Again, I want to stress that if you are tired of watching these Hollywood versions of sugarcoating our history of serial killers, and prefer an 'FBI files' type of interview, seeing the actual tapes from inside the prison walls, watch this movie.

First of all, I have a hard time disliking any movie that stars Angelina Jolie, yes, I have a weakness. However, this film was pretty good on its own, even without her presence. I would say this movie was a cross between The Matrix, Crank, and Tomb Raider. Providing the viewer with the freeze-stop motion moments to the extreme action scenes, you could feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins. The soundtrack also assisted in building up the anxiety, much credit on that end as well.

A really cool feature that they wrote into the plot was the ability to 'sling, or curve' bullets. There were a few scenes that were really cool to watch. A movie based upon assassins, the history and background of The Fraternity, and twists and turns throughout the film made it one I would definitely watch again. And, yes, I would recommend it to others as well. Enjoy!

Friday, April 30, 2010

We have all heard the stories about the Tooth Fairy, place your tooth under your pillow and she won't come if you wait up for her. Well, in this movie, if you look at her, you are going to die....

The movie starts off with Kyle losing his last baby tooth. First of all, he doesn't put it under his pillow, he puts it on his dresser, I've never heard of *that* before.... Anyway, he goes to bed, hears noises and actually sees the Tooth Fairy. A series of events follow and the movie continues. Cut to the future, Kyle is still haunted by his past and is on a cocktail of anti-psychotic medications. His childhood sweetheart comes to him with an issue with her younger brother who seems to be suffering from the same problems Kyle had as a child.

This movie actually had my anxiety level up a few times, grabbing my attention and refusing to let it go. Lacking a complex plot and focusing on a somewhat 'lame' topic, I actually have to give this movie some credit. I enjoyed it and appreciated the edge of your seat moments.

I would also like to add that if you have children and would like to avoid dishing out cash for teeth, have them sit in the dark and watch this movie *snicker*

Thursday, April 29, 2010

In this movie, you have the guy and you have the girl. Guy decides to teach girl how to defend herself; setting booby traps, shooting a gun, handling a knife, etc. They are now living out in the woods and he tells her that if she were ever to be attacked by a crazy person, that the trick is to act more crazy than they are, therefore causing them to run away....

Car breaks down, girl encounters crazy person and the chase begins. The story line moves along a little too quickly in the areas that should have been prolonged, and the parts that didn't mean much, those took forever. For an hour film, I guess there is only so much you can squeeze in...but come on, where was the editor?

I'm not a huge fan of the monster/supernatural type of stuff, I prefer psychological thrillers, something that will really get into my head. I will give this movie credit for the drill press idea, but that's about all I can really say for it. I wasn't a huge fan nor would I recommend anyone else wasting their time with this one.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

First impression: 'this is just another Saw spin-off', however, this one is actually worth watching LOL. This is your standard serial killer/psychological thriller, the bad guy holding all the power while the victims remain helpless and to their own ability to solve a problem. The victims are forced to relive all of their worst crimes that they have committed to figure out why they are there. The killer has laid out the rules from the beginning; 'why are you here? I will return every ten minutes, and until you give me the correct answer, I will kill one of you every ten minutes.' So, does he hold true to his word? Will he kill someone every time the victims come up empty with answers?

The movie takes place in one room, with the door opening and closing to the 'outside world.' This film was well crafted and well written, allowing the viewer to try to solve the mystery themselves. My personal opinion, the movie lacked when it came to building suspense and creating high levels of anxiety. Honestly, I loved the opening scenes, the 'preparation' shall we say.... If you are able to go into a movie with an open mind, not comparing every psychological thriller you have ever seen, I recommend seeing this. I hadn't heard many reviews, but it's a great flick to watch on a rainy day or dark Saturday night.

Charming, attractive, intelligent and pure manipulative psychopathic killer all wrapped up into one. The product, Ted Bundy. Over the span of five years, Bundy went on a raping/killing spree, starting in Seattle and branching out towards Utah and Colorado. Although Bundy's approach was seemingly less articulated than most other serial killers, he found hundreds of women falling victim to his lure.

This film captures the essence of the sex crazed being that Bundy was, as well as showing how your 'everyday, boy next door' can be the next killer trying to get your attention. With appreciation for the ending of the film, which we all know ends in electrocution, the director gave a great portrayal of how things really go down. However, with the significant amount of people effected by Bundy's crimes, I was surprised to see how small the viewing room was for the execution. (I will have to do more research beyond the movie to find out the statistics revolving around this information)

Not a 'B' movie by far, however, not a movie you would expect to view on the big screen. I have every intention of adding this film to my own personal library, and I feel that if this is your sort of flick, definitely check it out.

This is the story of John Wayne Gacy, one of the most famous serial killers of our time. Having made contact with over 2000 boys, 29 found in the basement of his home and 4 more in the river bottom, this man was truly disturbed.

Being a well-known, well-liked guy in his neighborhood, Gacy was the guy to go to for entertainment for childrens' parties where he would dress up in his clown attire. He lead a 'normal' life, living with his wife, mother and two daughters...ok, so maybe living with his mother was a little off ;)

Gacy would cruise the streets and his own employees as bait for his next attack. Luring them in and then pouncing when they weren't expecting it. This film is fairly discreet on the detail shown to the viewer, however, we all know what is going to happen. I, personally, prefer to see the gory stuff, but I'm guessing the general public would just assume leave it to the imagination, or not at all.

I was definitely a fan of this film, the casting/acting was believable as was the accurate story line. Like I said before, a little more visual detail would have been appreciated, but overall a good flick.

Friday, April 23, 2010

I cannot praise this movie enough. Absolutely, positively, one of my all time favorites. The interaction amongst the cast is so convincing, causing you to fall in love with each and everyone of them. Johnny Depp was the *perfect* choice to play Sam, quirky and entertaining, he will pull at your heart strings and make your heart smile.

If you have not had the fortune of seeing this movie, please, please, please see it. You will never look at dinner rolls the same :)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

This movie feels like something you would be forced to watch in an educational setting. But, in saying this, it really is an educational tool that could save your ass.

The movie is broken down into three major sections. Getting pulled over, waiting for a bus, and having the cops bust a house party. I don't know about you, but everyone I know has been in at least one of these scenarios as least once.

The movie focuses on the most important of the Bill of Rights: 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments. If you aren't aware of what these are:4th-the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated.5th-No person shall be...compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...6th-In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to...have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

If you aren't interested in this type of film, just learn the above three amendments, and you should be ok. However, if you decide to watch the film, you may actually learn something that could get you out of a sticky situation, especially if you have anything in your vehicle, or on your person, that may not be legal ;)

With a running time of only 45 minutes, it's definitely worth checking out. I don't know about you, but I would much rather get a ticket than be issued a lovely pair of silver bracelets....

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"Becoming a cop, the pledge we took to uphold something honest. We let it all rot from under us. I was a good man once."

Another movie about shady cops. This movie focuses on the dirty side of being a cop in NY. Cops selling of their badges to the highest bidder for hits, playing out on the streets for drug money, and inevitably, putting fellow officers in the line of danger.

I am a huge fan of both Edward Norton and Colin Farrell, so I found this movie highly entertaining. If you like movies that include the corruption of our justice system, this is definitely a movie for you to view. Enjoy :)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Here is a film based on the true story of Armin Meiwes, a cannibal from Germany. With minimal dialogue from beginning to end, the story doesn't leave anything to the imagination. Providing a great setting to get into your head and rattle things around, this is also NOT a movie you want to watch if you have a weak stomach.

You may want to do a little research on Meiwes before watching this film, considering it begins and ends with the 'guts' of the story and doesn't provide much background. Meiwes went searching for a volunteer victim via the internet and was able to find someone willing to fulfill his fantasy, Bernd-Jurgen Brandes.

If you have any desire or interest in seeking the inner workings of a cannibalistic mind, you should definitely view this. With a running time of just under 90 minutes, it won't consume your entire day. I strongly recommend this movie to all of the twisted minds out there, enjoy ;)

Here is a link to the history of this event: Armin Meiwes (fyi, this movie runs 48 minutes...but worth watching before the film)